Don't Look Back in Anger
by KieraLovesCSI
Summary: Sequel to Silence is Easy. Lindsay is back, but Danny is hurt. What happens to their relationship when something bad happens to Lindsay? Lots of DL.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: The sequel is finally here! The last one was quite angsty, so I promise there will be lots of fluff in good time. Please review and tell me what you think, they are greatly appreciated and it only takes a second!  
__I will be posting a chapter ever couple of days. :D

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_Disclaimer: I don't own CSI: NY or its characters. I also don't own the song this fic is named after.

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"_Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow,  
____That I shall say good night till it be morrow." - Shakespeare_

* * *

Danny looked through the window of the cab, staring at all the buildings and people as they whizzed by. He ran a hand through his spiky hair. It had been another hard day, Stella had fallen ill and he'd volunteered to take her shift, so had been working all day and into the evening.

The cab pulled up outside his apartment building, and Danny passed the driver the fare for the journey as he climbed out. The cab driver grunted his thanks, and the cab sped off again.

Danny took the elevator to his floor, and entered his apartment. He threw his keys on the coffee table and collapsed onto the couch. He closed his eyes.

His cell phone started to ring. He reluctantly answered it.

"Messer," he said into the phone.

"Hey Dan, it's Flack!" replied a cheery voice. "You coming out for a beer?" he asked.

"Not up for it, sorry," he quickly replied.

"Come on Danny. Lindsay left over twelve weeks ago, and ever since then you sit and sulk in your apartment, drinking by yourself."

"No I don't!" replied Danny, a twinge of anger present in his voice.

"Don't bother getting angry."

"Who said I was?"

"You have been ever since she left Danny," Flack replied, his tone softer.

Danny paused in frustration. No one really understood him right now. "She left, without a goodbye. Expecting me just to accept it, and wait. She hasn't even called me Flack."

"Lindsay has been through a lot Dan. She needs a bit of time to herself, just like you did when Ruben died," he said simply.

"She should have said something. Anything, before she left. I can't help but be angry," he mumbled.

"Fine. Sulk by yourself. I'll have to stay at home now too. See you at work," he huffed.

Danny heard the click of the phone as he hung up. Rage silently fumed inside him.

_They just don't get it._

He had sat, deep in depression the day of the wedding. Stella had then called him, telling him of the incident, and that Lindsay was gone. First he accepted it. But weeks passed, with him not knowing if she was okay or when she would be back. Then he grew angry. Angry that she abandoned him, even though she knew that he loved her, and wanted to be there for her. But she still left.

His deep thoughts were interrupted by the knocking of his door. He chose to ignore it, he was no where in near in the mood to talk to someone. But still the knocking persisted, in loud and quick intervals. He neglected the door for a further five rounds of knocks, until his phone rang. He angrily snatched it from the table, expecting it to be Flack pestering him again. He looked at the caller ID. His eyes widened in shock, showing the whites of his eyes. _Lindsay._

It came to him. _She was the one knocking on his door._

He stood so fast that he tipped over the coffee table, and his phone drooped to the ground. He ran for the door, and wrenched it open. And there, standing before him, was Lindsay Monroe.

She looked exactly the way she did when she left, he had imagined her to change. A rush of emotions crashed over him. Love, anger, hurt.

"Danny…" she said, taking a step forward.

He stood in total shock, ridged on the spot.

"Linds… you're back…" he managed to say.

"Yes Danny."

"How… where…" he began, before being cut off by Lindsay throwing her arms around him, and hugging him tight. At first he didn't react. But before he knew it, his arms wrapped around her involuntarily. He took in the familiar scent of her perfume, holding her tight to himself. A sharp and livid voice hissed inside his head, "_ Get a hold of yourself Messer!"_

He pulled away.

"Dan, what's wrong?"

"Lindsay… I'm sorry, but we can't," he said, not looking up. "You can't just come back, out of the blue and expect everything between us to be okay."

"Danny, I don't. That's why I left, to give us a break, I told you in the letter-"

"You call that a letter? It was a few lines Lindsay," he snapped.

"You have to understand-"

"No Lindsay, _you_ have to. You hurt me Linds, when you left. For twelve weeks, I didn't know if you were okay, if something had happened to you."

"Hear me out Dan-" she started, but Danny cut through her words again, letting twelve weeks of anger out of his system.

"You didn't even tell me why you left. Stella called to tell me. Why did you leave Gary?"

"Because I wasn't in love with him. He didn't treat me with respect, and he tried to stop me from seeing my friends. I felt trapped in a relationship I didn't want to be in, because he…"

"He what?"

"He had a terrifying temper. And I wouldn't like to imagine what he would do if he found out I was I in love with someone else."

His heart quickened slightly. He knew he was the other person, the one she was in love with. But he checked anyway.

"Me?"

"Yeah. I do love you Danny, and I know you're hurt. But remember, you hurt me too-"

She saw his brilliant blue eyes go steely grey. "Are you ever going to stop throwing that in my face?"

She leaned back slightly in shock, that he would say such a thing.

"No wait! I didn't mean that-"

"It's fine. You're mad at me. That's understandable." He opened his mouth to speak again, but she continued. "Anyway, the team have all arranged to meet up for something to drink, like a reunion. Stella even said she'd come too, even though I hear she's not well. You gonna come?"

"I think I should get to sleep, I've been pulling doubles for two weeks now."

"Okay. I'll call you tomorrow then," she said disappointedly.

"Yeah. Night."

As he shut the door, she stood thinking of their reunion. It was nothing like she imagined, he was distant and aloof with her now. She begged silently in her head that it was not too late to repair their relationship.

Danny slumped onto the couch again, a jumble of thoughts and emotions racing around inside his head. He reached for a worn piece for folded paper from his jeans pocket. He read through it:

_Danny,_

_I'm so sorry. I have to go away for a while, and I don't know when I'll be back. I love you, more than anything. I just hope you'll understand my reasons for doing this._

_Lindsay x_

She had been through a lot of things in her life so far, and a part of him wanted to cut her some slack. But he was hurt, and they both needed some time to miss each other.


	2. Chapter 2

Next chapter! Please don't forget to review! Reviews make me happy! :D  
Disclaimer: I don't own them. Not one bit. :'(

"_So wise so young, they say never do live long" -Shakespeare_

* * *

Lindsay stood outside the bar, waiting for the rest of the team to meet up. She folded her arms across her chest and shivered. Tiny flakes of snow gently drifted down to the pavement.

She heard a familiar voice emitting a excited shriek from behind her.

"LINDSAY!!"

She saw Stella come trotting up to her, arms held wide. They hugged and over Stella's shoulder she saw Sid, Mac, Hawkes and Flack walking up to meet her, all beaming happily to her.

"I missed you kiddo!" Stella exclaimed. "How have you been?" she said.

"I'm fine Stell, I missed you too," she replied. "I'm fine, just been figuring stuff out. I thought you guys would be mad."

"Not a chance!" said Flack. She hugged him too.

"Don, how have you been keeping?" she asked, as they broke apart.

"Fine, fine, working hard as usual!"

The whole team exchanged hugs and jokes together. "Guys? I don't mean to interrupt, but it's freakin' freezing out here!" exclaimed Flack, waving his hand towards the door.

They laughed, and followed him inside. A warm blast of air met them just inside the door. They took their seats at a table, and a waitress strode over, to ask them what they wanted to drink.

"Beer for me," said Mac.

"Make that two!" chimed in Flack.

"I'll take some red wine. What about you Stella?" asked Lindsay.

"Water. I wouldn't want to upset my stomach again," she said, smiling weakly.

Hawkes and Sid ordered too, and the waitress stalked off. She returned with a massive tray of drinks, and handed them over.

"So Lindsay. Where were you staying, while you were away?" inquired Hawkes.

"With my parents, in Montana. It was nice to see them again."

"Everyone needs a break, once in a while," stated Sid.

"About that… Mac about my j-"

"Don't worry Lindsay. You still have your job. I kept it open for you," interrupted Mac.

A wave of relief washed over her. "You don't know how much that means to me," she said, beaming at him.

They sat together, drinking and talking, until a slow song started blaring through the speakers, and people from the bar all flooded on to the dance floor, dancing in pairs.

"I love this song," said Stella, smiling.

"Wanna dance?" asked Mac, extending his hand out. "I mean, if your up for it. If you don't feel well-"

"I'd love to!" she said, taking his hand as the pair walked over to the dance floor.

By this stage, Sid and Hawkes were discussing about the importance of biomedical engineering, and completely distracted from what was going on around them. Flack rolled his eyes and pulled a funny face. Lindsay chuckled, as Sid and Hawkes continued their conversation.

"So Linds. Would you like to dance? Or would you rather listen to Sid talk about cardiothoracic surgery and how to replace organs with artificial ones?" hinted Flack, winking at her.

"Dance. Definitely," she responded immediately, standing up quickly. Sid and Hawkes looked around, stopping their conversation. "Sorry guys," said Lindsay, holding her hands up in innocence.

They turned around again, laughing.

Flack lead her on to the dance floor, not far from where Stella and Mac where dancing together.

As Flack and Lindsay swayed to the music, she leaned in closer to his ear to talk to him over the loud music.

"What made you want to dance with me?" she asked.

"You needed some cheering up. Look at Stella, she's having a great time," he said, laughing.

"Well… thank you. You've been a great friend through all this," she said, giving his arm a friendly squeeze.

"I'm here for you Linds. If you don't mind me asking, have you spoken to Danny yet?"

She let a little sigh, which was barely audible over the music. "Yes. He's angry, and hurt. I asked him to come out with us tonight, but he said he was too tired, she recited. She paused again, as Flack patiently stayed quiet, allowing her to finish her story. "I just hope we can fix our relationship. We've both agreed to take things slow, but I don't even know when to start," she finished, looking into his electric blue eyes sadly.

"Things will be fine. Why not ask him to come and see a movie with you, at home or in the cinema. Or even just coffee. It's still a start," stated Flack, dropping his hands from the small of her back as the song ended, and a faster more upbeat song followed. "Come and I'll get you a drink," he offered, and they made their way back to the table.

"Do you guys want anything? It's on me!" tempted Flack, to Sid and Hawkes. They politely declined, saying that they didn't want to have a hangover for the following morning in work.

He went to the bar, and returned with a large glass of wine and a beer for himself.

"There you are," he said, passing the glass to her.

"Thanks Flack, you're the best," she said, taking a sip.

"Don't I already know?" he joked, drinking his own.

Flack saw Mac leading Stella back to the table.

"What's wrong?" he asked, seeing the concerned look upon Macs face.

"Stella is feeling really unwell. I'm sorry, but I'll have to take her home," he said, looking round at Stella, who had turned a rather disturbing colour of green.

"That's okay, I hope you feel better Stell," said a concerned Lindsay.

"You can take a few days off Lindsay, until you get settled. Just make sure you stop by the lab and say hello," he said, before bidding them all goodnight. They both left, disappearing into the snowstorm outside.

"I don't mean to ruin the party, but it's nearly midnight, I should get home," said Sid reluctantly , checking his watch, while lifting his coat.

"Okay Sid, see you tomorrow," Lindsay said, waving him a goodbye.

"Night Sid. Safe home," Flack said.

"Sheldon, Lindsay, you guys up for a night cap?" jested Flack, laughing at his own wittiness.

"Sure!" said Lindsay.

"Just one," responded Hawkes, laughing too.

**Two hours later**

Lindsay and Flack sat by the bar, surrounded by shot glasses. They were the only two people left in the bar, Hawkes had left after the 'nightcap'. Lindsay was sipping on a beer through a straw, completely intoxicated, while Flack, who was only slightly tipsy, saved her from falling off her seat by grabbing her by the arm as she tipped over.

"I should have never let you drink that much, you are gonna be so ill tomorrow," said Flack ruefully, propping her back upright.

"I'm just having a good time," she slurred, finishing the beer. She sighed, and started to sniffle.

"Lindsay? Are you crying?" asked Flack, brushing her hair out of the way of her face, to see tears rolling down her face. "What's wrong?" he asked softly.

"I really miss Danny. He's just not the same anymore."

"Why didn't you say something earlier? Like when we were dancing?"

"I don't know. I didn't want to admit it. He's changed."

Flack nodded as he patted her back sympathetically.

"He's been like that because you've been gone. Now you're back, so he'll be back to normal in no time. He was probably just shocked to see you home so suddenly," he assured her.

" Okay." She rubbed at her eyes, sleep starting to take hold.

"Time for you to get home, I'll flag down a cab to take you to your place," he said, putting his jacket on.

Lindsay responded with a loud wail, and she buried her face in her hands.

"I've got no where to stay, I don't have an apartment anymore," she cried.

He rushed over to her again.

"Hey, don't cry, I'll sort you out," he assured her, pulling out his phone. He called Danny's number, and held the phone to his ear. When he didn't answer he left a message.

"No answer," he said, putting his phone back in his pocket.

Where are we gonna go?" she said, hiccupping.

"You can crash at my place tonight. I flag down a cab," he said as they left the bar.

* * *

Lindsay lay on Flack's couch as he rummaged through his wardrobe.

"Don, what are you doing?" she asked looking round at him.

"Finding you a shirt and stuff to sleep in. You said your stuff is in your car, and you can't sleep in a dress," he said, emerging from the wardrobe again.

"Here you are," he said, passing them to her. "You go and get changed in the bathroom, it's just down there," he said, gesturing in the right direction. She stood, but began to sway again.

Flack steadied her again. "How much did you drink last night?"

Suddenly, out of the blue, Lindsay leaned in and tried to kiss him. Flack pulled away, just as her lips were about to make contact with his.

"Whoa Linds, stop right there," he scolded, staring at her in disbelief. "I understand you might be feeling lonely, but I'm here for you as a _friend._"

"I'm so sorry," she mumbled, refusing to make eye contact.

"Danny loves you, and you love him. Just give it a little time Linds. Okay?" he said, lifting her chin up with his index finger so he could look at her.

"Okay." She stood again and lifted the clothes, and entered the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

She emerged from the bathroom dressed in the clothes Flack had loaned her some five minutes later.

"You can sleep in my bed, and I'll sleep on the couch," he said, throwing some pillows and blankets onto the couch.

"You're so nice Don. I'm glad I have you," she said, climbing into the bed and pulling the blankets up around her.

"Night Linds," he said quietly.

"Night night," she mumbled, before her breathing evened and she fell into a deep sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

"_To be, or not to be. That is the question" -Shakespeare

* * *

_ As Flack tightened the knot on his tie, someone began knocking on his door.

"Don. Open up," a familiar muffled voice was saying.

He buttoned his collar and walked over to the door. He peered through the peep hole, and saw it was Danny.

He opened the door, and Danny saw Flack on the other side, dressed for work.

"Hey Don. Is Lindsay okay,? Where is she staying?" he immediately fired at him.

"Come in a minute," he said, stepping aside to let him pass.

Danny's eyes scanned the room, but froze when he saw a woman, with familiar brown curly hair, snoozing in Flack's bed. He froze in shock. Maybe this was just a misunderstanding. Flack, his best friend, wouldn't do this to him. Maybe it wasn't her…

He pushed past Flack, making a beeline for his room.

"Hey, wait a minute," said Flack, tearing after him.

Before he could enter the room, he heard Danny swear loudly from inside. He rampaged out, shutting the door to the bedroom behind him.

"Who would have known!" he sneered, his eyes as cold as steel. "My own friend stabbed me in the back!"

"It's not what you think Danny-"

"I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT IT IS!" he yelled with such force it made Flack step back slightly.

"This is all a big misunderstanding! Me and Lindsay didn't-"

"You're a dead man Flack," he growled, before lunging at him. He threw a well aimed punch, but Flack dodged it and Danny's fist thumped him on the shoulder.

"Dammit Messer!! Hear me out!" shouted Flack, dodging the never ending barrage of punches.

"Danny? What the hell?" interrupted Lindsay, who had just emerged from the bedroom. She pushed Danny off him, and stood between the two.

"I was only staying here because I've got no where else to go! Flack slept on the couch!" she said, exasperated.

"Wha-"

"Yes you idiot. Stop jumping to conclusions," she said, her voice lowering.

"Don, I'm sorry-" Danny began, but Flack cut across him.

"It's okay, don't worry." He pulled on his jacket. "I have to be in for work. Errr…. I'll see you two later?"

"I'll drop by and give you your key," said Lindsay, as Flack headed out the door.

They looked round at each other awkwardly.

"So… do you want to go for a coffee or something? And maybe we could talk?" she asked carefully.

"Just talk," he replied simply.

"I'll meet you outside Starbucks in twenty minutes?" she said, looking at her watch.

"Sure. See you then," he said, heading for the door.

As she heard the door click as it shut, she hoped that this talk would be the beginning for them both.

* * *

"Danny."

Danny jumped, and looked down to see Lindsay standing in front of him.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," said Lindsay, as they stood outside the coffee shop. Danny shifted uncomfortably, from one foot to another.

"It's fine. Shall we go in?" he said, pointing to the entrance.

"Is there something wrong? You were just staring into space," she asked quizzically, looking up at him. He didn't meet her gaze, but scanned the street as if he was looking for someone.

"Danny? Are you even listening?" she said, starting to get irritated. He continued to scan the streets, in the direction Lindsay had come from.

"Daniel Messer!!" she snapped, waving a hand in front of him.

"Yeah?" he said, peering around the street. He looked at her again, and gestured for her to enter first. She shot him a 'what the heck is up with you?' kind of look, before entering. They took a seat by the window.

"What was that about?" she asked.

"Uh, sorry. I thought I saw…" He didn't finish his sentence, but started to look out the window.

"Danny, are you trying to ignore me? If you are, you're doing a brilliant job!" she said sarcastically.

His head snapped around again. "Has anyone been bothering you or anything?" he asked, out of the blue.

"What? No. Why are you acting so weird?"

He paused. He had thought someone was following her. A man in a black hooded top had followed her up the street, but when she met up with Danny he turned into a alleyway. The man was acting quite suspicious, turning and looking back, and fidgeting. Maybe it was just his mind going strange.

"Sorry Linds. I'm… tired. Can I get you a coffee?" he said changing the subject.

"Okay. Thanks," she said, the frustration draining from her.

He brought back two coffees some five minutes later.

"Here's your coffee Montana." He handed it over to her.

"Thanks Danny," they both took a sip of their coffees. "How have you been keeping, since I've been away?"

He paused, and said, "Fine."

"Danny. Truthfully please." He smiled internally. She knew him so well, she could read him like a book.

"Not so great. I've missed you… and I was worried too."

"I thought you were mad at me?" she asked in a small voice, looking down into her half empty coffee cup.

"Montana."

She looked up, into his brilliant laser blue eyes. "I'm trying to understand why you did it. And I do. You were scared, and you did what was best for you. All I want is what's best for you." He slid his hand across the table and took hers, giving it a reassuring squeeze. He give her the Messer Grin, and she felt her mind turn to mush, and her knees turning to water. His grins always had that effect on her. She smiled back at him, and they stared at each other for a few seconds.

"So are we okay?" she asked.

"Of course," he said, grinning again.

His cell phone interrupted them.

He reached into his back pocket and pulled out his phone.

"Messer," he said into it. He paused for the other person on the line to speak, and than sighed slightly.

"Okay I'm coming now."

He hung up and looked at her remorsefully.

"I'm sorry Montana, but I have to go into work. There has been four homicides at a house across town, and Mac has to have everyone in."

Lindsay felt a pang in her chest. She really missed work.

"Everyone?"

"I take it that you wanna to come too? You miss work, huh?" he asked.

"Yeah, I really miss it," she said, thinking back.

"How about I put a word in with Mac and I'll call you later?"

"Okay. I'll go looking for an apartment I think," she said.

"I'll see you later then? "

"See you later," she said, as he grinned at her again. She felt her knees go weak again. As he walked out of the café, she lifted a newspaper that someone had left behind them. She checked it was today's paper, and pulled a pen from her bag when she saw it was.

"Better get started," she mumbled to her self, flicking to the back of the paper where the advertisements were.

Three hours later, Lindsay had poured through several papers, with no luck. All the apartments had been too far away from the lab, or too expensive to rent.

"Damn," she said, closing the latest one over, frustration getting to her. Danny still hadn't called her, and she was bored stiff sitting in the café. She decided to go to the lab, so she stood and stretched her stiff knees. She then finished her coffee and left the café.

R&R?


	4. Chapter 4

_"I like this place and willingly could waste my time in it" -Shakespeare_

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When she came into the lab, she felt a rush of memories crashing around like waves in her head.

"I missed this place," she murmured under her breath. As she strolled through, many of her coworkers rushed up to her to welcome her back. As she walked through the corridors, she looked through the window and into a lab. There she saw Adam completely surrounded by evidence bags. She went into the lab to greet him.

"Adam!" she said, standing next to Adam, who looked horribly stressed.

He turned around, and started when he saw her. "Lin…Lindsay? You're here!" he exclaimed, hugging her. "How are you?"

"I'm good. You?" she responded, looking at all the evidence bags surrounding him.

"I'm up to my eyes with work, as you can see," he said exasperated, looking at all the evidence he now had to process. "I didn't think we'd see you here for another few days. Do you miss work?" he asked.

"Yes I do. I can't wait to get back. That's one of the reasons I'm here, to speak to Mac about it."

"He's out in the field. He'll be back soon though," he said, lifting a piece of evidence from one of the bags.

"I'll let you get back to that. See you later Adam," she said, before waving as she left the lab.

"Bye Lindsay," said Adam, before turning back to his mountains of evidence with a sigh.

She went to sit in what was once Danny and Lindsay's shared office. She took a seat on the swivel chair. She noticed a picture sitting by some paperwork. She lifted it up and smiled. It was one of her and Danny in central park. They were laughing in the summer sunshine, Danny's arm around her waist. She set it back on the desk and began to wait for him to come back.

Danny entered the lab, fresh from the crime scene. In his arms were even more evidence that he had collected. He first made a stop at his office, to collect his lab coat.

"Montana?" he said, seeing a woman sitting in his chair, spinning around on it slowly.

"Whoa! You scared me!" she said startled, jumping from the chair.

"You looked kinda bored Montana. How long were you waiting for me?" he chuckled, setting the bags down.

"For ages!" she wailed. "I was so bored!" Danny looked down on his desk to see that his post it notes had been doodled all over. He saw a trio of notes that had the phrase, "I'm bored" written all over them. He picked up one of them and laughed. "Very original. Very high school," he snickered.

She snatched the post it note and stuck her tongue out at him playfully. "My shift is nearly over. How about we go for a movie or something?" he said hopefully.

"Okay. But I pick the movie!" she said, with a teasing glint in her eyes.

"Sure," he said, already knowing what sort of movie she was going to pick. "But please not _Sex and the City_," he begged. "_Anything_ but that!"

"That's not what I had in mind anyway. So when you get a spare minute will you talk to-"

"Already done. Mac says you can start Friday if that suits you," he assured her.

"That's great! Tell him thanks." She sat again, and her forehead folded into a frown.

"What's wrong Montana?" asked Danny kneeling beside her.

"I still don't have somewhere to live. It's not fair on Don, he doesn't have a spare room."

"Why don't you ask Stell, I think she'd be happy to have you stay," he replied. Just as he spoke those words, Stella and Hawkes walked by the office. Stella heard the mention of her name, and stopped outside the office door.

"Hi guys," she said, popping her head inside the office.

"Hey," Danny and Lindsay replied in unison.

"You feeling any better?" Danny inquired.

"Much better," she nodded, smiling.

"We aren't interrupting something?" Hawkes joined Stella in the office.

"No, we're just talking. You guys going to help me process?" asked Danny, pointing to all of the evidence.

"Yes, we were just looking for you. I'll meet you in the lab." Hawkes gave them a friendly nod before leaving the office and heading for the lab.

"Yeah, I should go and help him now. I'll see you later Montana?" he said, lifting the evidence bags.

"Pick me up around half eight. Oh, and can you give this to Don? she said. Danny extended his hand and she placed the key in his palm. "Thanks Dan. See you later," she said, beaming. He grinned and winked, and Lindsay immediately felt the familiar melting sensation.

"Are you guys going on a date?" asked Stella excitedly.

Lindsay blushed slightly. "Yeah."

"That's great! I knew you two could work it out," she beamed happily. Stella had known that they belonged together, she saw how well they fitted together. They had been through a lot of hardship, and they deserved some happiness. "I couldn't help but overhear your conversation. Danny was definitely right about what he said. I'd love to have you stay. You know I'm here for you kiddo," she said.

"Thank you so much Stell." They hugged. Lindsay had been scared that Stella was mad at her for leaving, just like Danny had been. But now she was sure that Stella wasn't, and she knew she was silly for thinking so. "I'm looking for an apartment at the minute, and as soon as I get one, I'll be out of your way," she assured her friend.

"My shift is over in around…" she referred to her watch, "… Ten minutes. If you wait for a bit, we can go back to my apartment and get you ready for your big date!"

Lindsay laughed at how happy and excited Stella was for her.

"That sounds great. But can I come into the lab? I'm bored out of my brain waiting here," she asked.

"Of course," Stella said, as they left for the lab together, discussing Danny and Lindsay's plans for the night.

* * *

R&R?


	5. Chapter 5

_"Nature teaches beasts to know their friends" -Shakespeare_

* * *

"So kiddo. What are you going to wear for your big date?" Stella asked as they walked to Stella's apartment, which was only ten minutes away on foot.

Lindsay laughed. "You know, it's just a date, we're just going to see a movie. Not a 'big date' as you keep saying!"

"Of course it is. So what about clothes?" laughed Stella. Lindsay felt a sinking sensation in her chest, as she realized she didn't have anything to wear for her date.

"Crap! I don't have anything!" Lindsay wailed.

Stella's eyes lit up. "You know what that means! _**Shopping**__! _Come on, I'll get us a taxi to Barneys!" Stella squealed excitedly, immediately trying to hail a taxi from the edge of the pavement.

"Stella are you crazy? That place is so expensive!" exclaimed Lindsay, running to meet her at the edge of the pavement. "I don't have much money, and I need to get an apartment!"

"Relax, they have their annual February sale." She continued hailing a taxi, until one pulled up in front of her. "Finally! Come on Linds-" Stell reached for Lindsay's arm and dragged her into the taxi.

"Barneys, west 17th street," Stella said, her excitement growing with every passing minute.

"Stella, I'm only going if you promise not to explode with excitement," Lindsay laughed.

"Promise," replied Stella, as the cab pulled out onto the road.

"I've always wanted to have an excuse to go to Barneys! I can't remember the last time we went shopping," Stella said.

"I've missed this," Lindsay said, reveling in Stella's excitement over their shopping trip.

"Me too. It's great to have you back." Stella had really missed Lindsay's friendship, they had become close friends in the run up to the wedding. She had been disappointed that Lindsay couldn't confide in her about Gary, but Lindsay had left her a separate letter, explaining her absence. Stella understood how vulnerable Lindsay had been, and she also knew how hard Lindsay found it to confide and trust people. Though she never questioned her trust, she did wonder if Lindsay knew that she could confide in her.

"Lindsay. You do know that you can confide in me right? If you ever need someone, I'm here. You know that, don't you?" asked Stella on a more serious note.

"You're talking about… Gary. Aren't you? I was really scared Stell, I was scared in case he found out."

"He never harmed you or anything?"

"No. But he came close a few times. It was his words that hurt me the most." They sat in silence. Lindsay broke it. "You know what? We're here to have fun, not talk about stuff that's in the past."

"You're right." Stella nodded. "Look! We're here!" she suddenly exclaimed, looking out to see Barneys.

Stella started to feel a buzz of excitement as they entered the colossal store. She stared at the massive banners that said ' up to 75 off!" and tried her best not to explode with excitement.

Lindsay stopped by a rail of pink jumpers, and the price tag caught her eye. She blinked and looked again.

"Three hundred and fifty dollars for a _jumper_?" she gasped in shock.

"But that one wasn't reduced in the sale," pointed out Stella. As they wondered over to the dress section, Stella gasped loudly. She reached for a Chloe dress, and stared at it, feeling a overcoming sensation to buy the dress there and then.

"It's beautiful! Lindsay come look!" Lindsay wondered over and joined her, gasping too.

"Wow!" she said, running her thumb over the silky material. Stella felt her heart drop when she saw the price tag. It had only been reduced by twenty percent.

"Three hundred dollars." She said sighing.

"Every girl has got to treat herself once and a while Stell," Lindsay said, wondering off deeper into the maze of dresses.

One hour later, they had found nothing for Lindsay to wear on her date. She and Stella first had some fun trying on things they couldn't afford, but then decided to find something for Lindsay to wear, but with no avail.

"I'm never going to find something!" wailed Lindsay, hopelessly pouring through another railing of Dolce & Gabbana dresses, all of which were only reduced by ten percent and still over five hundred dollars. The cheapest one they had found wasn't to her taste, so they had kept looking relentlessly through the railings.

"We will. I can feel it," Stella said looking at the Chloe dress again. Lindsay wondered further away until she got to a railing at the back of the section. She stuck her hand randomly through the railings and pulled out a dress. She nearly fainted when she saw it. It was the most beautiful dress in the shop. It was simple but elegant; a Little Black Dress. She ran her hand over the material in awe, and didn't notice Stella peering over her shoulder.

"Is that by Valentino? Oh my god!" Stella said as fast as she could get her words out. "_Two hundred and fifty dollars_? For a Valentino dress? Is this some kind of _sick_ joke?" Stella said in dismay.

"It can't be. It must have been priced wrong," Lindsay said in disbelief.

"Get to the cashier! We need to check." Stella trotted after Lindsay as she made a beeline for the till.

The cashier scanned the item casually, chewing on her chewing gum as Lindsay stood at the till, peering over to see what price came up on the screen.

"The price is correct. Are you going to take it?" the cashier said.

"Yes I'll take it!" said Lindsay, handing over the money in disbelief.

"You know what Linds? I'm going to buy this one. I can't remember the last time I treated myself," Stella said, happily trotting over to the next desk and paying for hers.

"Good for you Stell." Lindsay took the bag from the cashier, and joined Stella at the exit.

They stepped out on to the street.

"Wait a minute, I forgot my keys," said Stella, checking her bag. "I'll run back and get them, I must have left them by the till." Stella walked back into the store as Lindsay hailed a taxi.

It was then that Lindsay felt it. The feeling she was being watched. She looked around nervously, but amongst the busy crowds she couldn't pick out anyone acting suspiciously. She turned around again, but she was now aware of a man standing against the wall about twenty meters away, dressed in black with a hood over his face. She shifted nervously as a cab pulled up beside her. She clambered in as fast as she could, shutting the door. The man was still looking right at her.

"Hey, I got them," Stella said, opening the car door and holding her keys up. Lindsay nearly jumped out of her own skin, but was relieved when she saw it was her friend. "What's wrong?" asked concerned Stella. "You look a little jumpy or something. Are you nervous about the date?"

This was partially true. When Lindsay was buying the dress, she started to feel the sensation of butterflies in her stomach. She wasn't sure what Danny wanted the date to be, and this uncertainty was making her feel apprehensive. Was it just two people going to see a movie? Or was it more than that? She didn't know. The other reason was the feeling that someone was watching her, the shady looking man standing across the street. She decided to brush it off.

"Yeah. Just a bit," Lindsay replied.

"Don't worry Linds. Just be yourself and have fun." Stella then gave her address to the cab driver and they sped off. Lindsay looked out the window to the same spot the man had been standing. He was now gone.

_A/N: So who is Lindsay's stalker?? Keep reading and you'll find out! :P_

_And thanks to those who reviewed! :)_


	6. Chapter 6

"_Shall I compare thee to a summers day? _

_Thou art more lovely and more temperate" -Shakespeare_

* * *

Lindsay now felt more nervous than ever. She was at Stella's house, and had just finished putting on her makeup. Her dress fitted beautifully, and she was staring at her reflection in Stella's mirror. She had stopped at the lab to tell Flack where she was staying, and he had fully understood.

"Are you sure I look okay?" asked Lindsay for the thousandth time.

"The answer stands the same as it was three minutes ago," joked Stella. "You look great Linds, you're gonna blow Danny's mind."

"Thanks. I'm sorry for asking you a zillion times, I'm just really nervous," said Lindsay, playing with the bracelets on her wrist.

"Well, he _is _the most popular boy in school!" quipped Stella sarcastically, as she took a seat on her bed.

Lindsay chuckled, just as the doorbell rang. They both froze, but Stella got up and skipped towards the door. She peered through the peephole and saw Danny standing nervously on the other side of her door, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. Lindsay emerged from the bedroom.

"Is it him?" she asked, walking up to the door were Stella was standing. Stella nodded with a silly grin on her face and opened the door.

"Hey Danny. Lindsay's here." Stella stepped back from the door, letting Lindsay in front. "You two have fun. Be good!" she said, before Lindsay waved goodbye and the door was shut behind them, and Danny and Lindsay were left alone in the corridor.

"Hi Danny." Lindsay looked him over. He was wearing a new shirt, and she could smell slightly the scent of his aftershave. "You look great Dan." She smiled warmly at him.

"Thanks. And you look beautiful." He saw her blush slightly and look down briefly. She felt like a love-struck teenager.

Danny tried his best not to stare as they made their way to the exit of the apartment building, but he could barely keep his eyes off her.

"Is your dress new?" he asked as they stepped out onto the busy street and began to walk to the cinema, which was only ten minutes from Stella's apartment.

"Yes, me and Stella went shopping. It was fun," she recited.

"It looks great on you," he murmured in her ear. She felt shivers travel down her spine, and looked up at him with a cheeky smile on her face. She wasn't paying attention to where she was walking and she felt the heel of her shoe get caught in a crack in the pavement.

She wobbled and was about to fall when Danny scooped her up and saved her from crashing into the pavement.

"Steady Montana. What happened there?" he propped her upright again.

"My heel is stuck!" She tugged at it with no avail.

Danny crouched down and began to pry her high heel from the crack. With one twist of his wrist, she was free.

"Thanks," she mumbled, slightly embarrassed.

"Everythin' okay?"

She nodded and he reached for her hand, grasping it warmly. Lindsay was surprised, when they first got together, Danny rarely showed any public displays of affection to her. She couldn't help but give him a Cheshire cat grin. He returned the grin with one of his own, just as they arrived at the cinema. They walked over to the booth to buy their tickets, Danny's hand still entwined with hers. "So what's it gonna be Montana?" Danny asked, lifting a leaflet from the desk and showing her the options.

"What about…Ironman?" she asked, pointing to the start time.

"Are you serious?"

"What? If you'd rather watch something else…"

"No, it's not that. You picked Ironman? I've got the most amazing girlfriend in the state." He froze slightly when he realized what he just said. He paid for the tickets hastily and they took a seat inside the cinema, right at the very back.

"Montana. About what I said back there… I hope I didn't make you feel uncomfortable or anything by calling you my girlfriend. I know we're starting over, and I don't wanna pressure you." She felt his laser blue eyes meet her mud brown ones.

"I thought it was really sweet of you to call me you girlfriend. I want to be your girlfriend." she reached for his hand.

He smiled. "I love you Montana." Lindsay felt tears threaten to well up. She'd never thought she'd hear Danny say those three little words. They meant the world to her. He had wrote them in the letter, but now that he spoke them out loud it seamed more real.

"That means a lot to me," she whispered. He nodded with a slight smile on his lips. He then cupped the side of her face and leaned in. He stopped half way there, to see if she would pull away. But she leaned in herself until they were mere millimeters apart, until he kissed her gently. He pulled away slowly.

"You know, I can't remember the last time I kissed someone in the back row of a cinema Messer," she teased him, a twinkle in her eye.

"I tell you, It won't be the last," he hinted back, just as the movie flashed up onto the giant screen and they both turned around to watch.

* * *

Sorry it's only a short chappie. I'll update with the rest of their date soon :P Please R&R and tell me your thoughts on their date so far :P


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